


A Father, No Matter The Distance

by Bellflower



Category: Samurai Warriors
Genre: Gen, SW Secret Santa 2012
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-23
Updated: 2012-12-23
Packaged: 2017-11-22 04:26:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/605801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellflower/pseuds/Bellflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'It simply wasn't fair that other people made him leave her so much. They obviously didn't need him half as much as Ina herself did. '</p>
<p>Three snippets from the story of a father and daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Father, No Matter The Distance

1.  
Ina wanted her father.

Too young to understand war, battle and politics, all she knew was the simple fact that her beloved Daddy, the centre of her world, was constantly going away and leaving her all alone. That she had companions in the form of other family, friends and her maidservants meant little to her when he wasn't around. Only her mighty Father could make her feel safe and warm and happy, only Father could chase away the demons that hid outside her window at night and make the nasty spirits that ruined her dreams go away!

It simply wasn't fair that other people made him leave her so much. They obviously didn't need him half as much as Ina herself did. 

Sniffling, the dark-haired little girl buried her face into the futon. It felt like it had been years since she had seen her father, now. Well, maybe it was more like months... it was definitely weeks, at least! Ina had been a 'brave, proud Honda' for a long time now, as he'd asked her to be (or, at the very least, she'd tried to, not being sure exactly what that had meant), but doing that all by herself was hard work. While she considered herself to be really good at keeping the household in check, and was a great expert at watering the flowers in the little plot of garden she had decided was hers to watch over, you needed someone as strong and invincible as father to keep all the bad things away.

People and flowers were a simple matter; dark creatures were not, and not even a brave, proud Honda could deal with those when they were not big enough to to hold a mighty spear yet.

Next time he came back to her, Ina was determined to make sure he didn't leave again. She would think up a clever plan to keep him in their mansion forever and ever! Maybe if she pretended she was very, very sick... surely he wouldn't leave her then, right?

The little princess was detailing the finer parts of her plan in her head (where to get the right shade of green paint for her cheeks and the like), when one of her maidservants stepped into the room.

“My Lady?” asked the young woman, bowing politely.

Ina didn't even bother to look up from the futon when she shook her head. Earlier, she had made it very clear that she was not going to get out of her bed unless her father came to get her.

“I'm not coming!” she said, voice muffled by her pillow.

“My Lady, I have a package for you,” replied the maidservant, in a very patient tone of voice. “It is from your Lord father. He sent instructions that it was to be given to you as soon as it arrived.”

That definitely caught Ina's interest; she rose her head, eyes wide. A package from father was not as good as getting her _actual_ father, but it was still rather exciting. Jumping up, Ina practically sprinted over to the smiling woman and the small package she held her arms.

Moments later, she was back on her futon and tearing the paper off with enthusiasm, not even noticing when her maid left the room. She was far too excited about her father's gift, and what it might be. A book, perhaps? A doll? Maybe a particularly small but still incredible toy sword?

It turned out to be none of those things.

Ina stared down at her 'father,' amazed. The little wooden figure was a perfect likeness of him; everything from the details on the armour to the stern, proud face he always bore had been carved with considerable care and attention. Even his thick eyebrows were appropriately bushy! Still and silent for a short while, Ina eventually burst into a fit of giggles and turned her miniature father over in her hands.

“Father is strong,” she said to herself. “Even when he is no bigger than my hand, I bet he could defeat any monster!”

She looked back at the packaging remnants after a few minutes spent playing, wondering if he had sent her a letter as well, but there was nothing. This was not particularly unusual; he had always said that he preferred to 'do things' rather than 'say things,' which meant that Ina got very few letters and that those that she did receive were always short and to the point.

Well, it didn't disappoint her, anyway.

Her actual father, who was far away right now, had sent a little version of himself to Ina! That way he could do whatever it was he did when called away, whilst still protecting his daughter. The scary things that lived in the shadows and corridors at night had better watch out, because now, her great and powerful father, Honda Tadakatsu, would always be around to beat them up.

Now there was no more need to pretend to be sick, or be afraid. Instead Ina would be able to tell her real, big father about all the things his little self had done, and all the adventures that Ina had had with him at her side. 

It would make his return home that much more exciting!

 

2.  
Another miss.

Ina frowned, and lowered her bow. It wasn't an actual miss she'd made, but the teenaged girl still considered it to be one. The last arrow she'd fired was lodged in the very edge of the target she'd been aiming for, which was far from good enough. Were it a battle, even a small distance like that could mean the difference between glory and shame.

As a warrior of the Honda, and the proud daughter of the greatest warrior in the land, Ina could accept no less than perfection from herself. All she had ever wanted was to be a great samurai and true hero, like her father was, and to achieve that dream her battle skills needed to be as sharp as possible.

There was no room for mistakes; no room for a single missed shot. Every single one had to hit the mark.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the urge to sneeze.

Shaking her head afterwards, Ina took a moment to glare up at the sky. It was, as it happened pouring with rain; she had decided to train despite the weather, because a warrior might be called to battle in all kinds of different conditions. That didn't mean she had to like it, however. The sky had not cleared for three days now, and the rain had been constantly heavy. It made her wish for hot drinks and the comfort of a warm fire.

After a moment spent dwelling on that inviting thought, Ina sighed and raised her bow again. She did not pull out another arrow yet, instead taking the time to imagine the path an arrow would take at _this_ angle, or at _that_ one. Accounting for the wind was the most trying problem; without its influence the teenaged girl was fairly certain there was no target out of reach of her arrows. 

She needed to be able to work out that angle of a shot in mere seconds. Once a battle had started, there would be little time to stand around working it out.

“My Lady?”

Ina glanced to the side, where her favoured maidservant was standing with a package tucked under one arm and a parasol in her free hand. There was genuine concern in the maidservant's eyes; Ina had seen that expression a lot lately. She was fully aware that some of her training habits gave her family and friends cause for concern, but they had to understand that when it came down to it, every precious minute spent with her fine bow was necessary. 

“Yes?” Ina replied, lowering her bow for a moment. “What do you have there?”

“Lord Tadakatsu has sent you a gift, Lady Ina,” said the maidservant. “Will you come inside to open it, or would you prefer to do so outside?”

It was clear which option she preferred. Ina almost went along with that preference; it would be a genuine excuse to go inside for a moment, after all. The proud side of her very insistently demanded that she remain outside until her usual training period was over, however, and so she lowered her bow and placed it to one side.

“I will take it here.” Ina reached out and took it from her maidservant's arms. “You may return indoors now; take some time off to change into dry clothing and eat. I do not want you to become ill.”

The maidservant looked like she wanted to argue, but instead she merely bowed her head.

“Yes, my Lady.”

After the other woman had gone, Ina adjusted her cloak and then looked around. A nearby tree offered adequate, if not perfect, shelter, and she stepped underneath its branches before carefully unwrapping her gift.

What was inside gave her pause.

It had been quite some time since her father, the famed samurai Honda Tadakatsu, had given her one of his carvings, and even longer since he had given her one of such significance. This one was a perfectly carved wooden miniature of a noble female warrior, clad in armour with her weapon raised and a proud, focused expression on her face. It was Ina herself, though not an Ina that existed yet; instead it was what she _could_ be, the future she wished to claim for herself. As a gift from her father, it could mean only one thing.

He believed that she would achieve her dream. That she would overcome her difficulties and become a warrior worthy of the Honda name.

The young woman let out a shuddering breath, and clutched the figure tightly to her chest. Her resolve hardened, and any lingering doubt that existed inside her vanished. If he believed in that future enough to carve it into wood, then she would not let him down. Ina would not even think about any temptation that might distract her from training! She would master her bow and become a reader of the winds, so that her arrows might take down any enemies of her Lord, Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Soon, very soon, she would ride to battle at her father's side and bring honour to both of them.

 

3.  
The snow fell.

Ina barely noticed it; her attention was fixed on the giant of a man that was Honda Tadakatsu. He was currently examining the package she had given him, as if he was trying to guess what might lay within before opening it up.

It made her feel a little nervous, truth be told. Few things made her feel unsure of herself these days; with three battles to her name and a reputation as a true child of the Honda well and truly earned, Ina now _knew_ she was the samurai she had always dreamed of being. Her beloved father had helped to guide her down that path, dealing with her moments of weakness in the manner in which he approached most things; through actions rather than words. 

Now she wished to show her gratitude in the same kind of way. It had taken her several weeks of work, and resulted in some rather sore hands (and a few errant scratches), but Ina had finally produced something she could hand to her father without feeling ashamed of her work.

It was not as detailed as anything he could create, nor was it as elegantly crafted, but she certain it would convey what she wished it to. 

Well... _almost_ certain. Even the proudest and mightiest of samurai had to experience the slightest moments of doubt.

Tadakatsu opened the package and lifted the little wooden figure up in order to examine it closely. It was not a carving of Tadakatsu himself, or of Ina, but of _both_ of them. The father was holding a very young version of his daughter in his arms. It was rough work, but obviously a labour of love. 

After several minutes of quiet contemplation, Tadakatsu turned his head and regarded his daughter with an unreadable expression.

“I will carry this into battle with me,” he announced.

Ina smiled. She didn't need to hear more than that to know that her father was pleased with this gift. For years Ina had been able to carry a part of her father with her in the form of the carvings he had gifted her, and now, Tadakatsu would be able to carry a part of _her_ with him as well.

They were proud warriors, but they were also father and daughter, and that bond would forever be treasured by both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to distantsonority for being my beta for this piece! This one was my fill for the Secret Santa over on tumblr this year. I hope you enjoy it, tachiboner; I have never written for these two before, so it was a bit of a challenge.


End file.
